I’m slightly perplexed, so today I’m turning to you for guidance. Not other readers. You.
I write two newsletters. One is Mountain Minute on LinkedIn. It has 175,000 subscribers. The other is Seek Awe, which you are reading right now. It has about 1,400 subscribers. Almost no one shares or forwards it.
In my eyes, Seek Awe is the more important of the two. It focuses on awe and flow, two of the most profound states a human being can experience. Add more awe and flow to your life, and your sense of fulfillment and happiness will skyrocket.
And yet, this newsletter isn’t growing.
Why?
That wasn’t a rhetorical question. I really want to hear your thoughts.
To make your task easier, I’m going to devote the rest of this issue to summarizing what I perceive about awe and flow…
Awe and flow are both elevated experiences that can enhance well-being and performance.
Awe is the feeling of wonder and amazement that arises in response to something vast and inspiring: a natural wonder, a work of art, or a religious experience.
Flow is a state of complete absorption in an activity in which you are fully immersed in the present moment, often accompanied by a sense of enjoyment and accomplishment.
I can make a strong case that if your only goal was to maximize the amount of flow in your life, you would increase both your amount of fulfillment as well as your positive impact on the world.
There is a close relationship between awe and flow; both involve a sense of losing oneself in the experience and being fully engaged with the present moment. When you experience awe, you become so absorbed in the wonder of the experience that you lose track of time and become fully immersed in the moment.
Research suggests that both awe and flow can enhance well-being and performance.
Awe…
Social connection: In a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, participants who looked up at a grove of towering trees for just one minute reported feeling more socially connected to other people, compared to participants who looked up at a tall building for one minute.
Generosity: In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, participants who looked up at a stand of eucalyptus trees for just one minute were more likely to share money with others in a trust game, compared to participants who looked up at a tall building for one minute.
Well-being: In a study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, participants who watched a video of a humpback whale swimming and jumping out of the water reported feeling more positive emotions and a greater sense of overall well-being, compared to participants who watched a video of a news program.
Flow…
Performance: A study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that experiencing flow during a task can enhance performance. In the study, participants who reported experiencing flow while completing a cognitive task performed better on the task than participants who did not experience flow.
Creativity: A study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that experiencing flow can enhance creativity. In the study, participants who reported experiencing flow during a creative writing task generated more creative ideas than participants who did not experience flow.
Well-being: A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that participants who reported experiencing flow during leisure activities reported higher levels of well-being and life satisfaction compared to participants who did not experience flow during leisure activities.
Performance and well-being: A study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found that employees who reported experiencing flow at work reported higher levels of job satisfaction, creativity, and performance compared to employees who did not experience flow at work.
My goal is pretty simple: to inspire and help more people. That said, I don’t get less pleasure from writing this newsletter than I do my larger circulation one. I’m just genuinely curious why more people don’t share this newsletter and more people haven’t discovered it.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts. There’s no obligation to respond, but I will be truly grateful if you do.
Your contributions has inspired me. No one can perceive what is in the thoughts of a human being. Even immortals can’t read what’s in the mind. Sometimes we learned from others that is not beyond the capacity of our understanding. When I am alone, after watching documentaries (I love most) that life are full of wonders & mysteries even in my profession in the health care, the patient’s encounters is a part of life’s cycle. Live the life we want not only to achieve the goals but a better life because nothing last forever we never know the time of exit.
As a Mountain Minute subscriber initially I find your writing, inspirational and supportive of my outlook on life. I like to read so when you gave me the opportunity to subscribe to Seek Awe I gladly jumped at the chance. I enjoy both subscriptions. I hadn't really noticed the differences between the two.